


We Had to Learn How to Bend

by FagurFiskur



Series: 30 day cheesy tropes challenge [28]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Historical Inaccuracy, M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Noble/Peasant, Nobleman Castiel, Peasant Dean, Period-Typical Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-03
Updated: 2014-06-03
Packaged: 2018-02-03 06:46:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1735046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FagurFiskur/pseuds/FagurFiskur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Dean," Castiel pleads. </p><p>"It's..." Dean shakes his head. "It's stupid. I overheard Michael talk with Naomi in the stables today." Usually, Dean will refer to Castiel's family by their proper titles, but never when alone with Castiel. It was Castiel who asked him to refrain from doing so - it makes the distance between them seem all the more real. "They were talking about you."</p><p>"Oh?" </p><p>"You and... Lady Daphne," Dean says. "I think- it sounded like they were planning your engagement."</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Had to Learn How to Bend

**Author's Note:**

> 30 day cheesy trope challenge: #17 - Noble/Peasant AU
> 
> [The challenge](http://ghiraher.tumblr.com/post/37135733342/30-day-cheesy-tropes-challenge)
> 
> Note the tag: there ain't historical accuracy here for shit. Also, if this seems sloppy, it's because it was written as part of JuNoWriMo. I did read over it and edit it, but, y'know, still kind of hurriedly written.
> 
> Title taken from I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz

The stables always seem abnormally quiet at night. It's strange that a place that could be so lively during the day should be shrouded completely in silence at night. And it is silent - silent enough so that Castiel can hear his heart thumping inside his chest, racing with excitement and fear. He shouldn't be out here. He's been close enough to getting caught enough times this week.

But he needs to see Dean. Seeing him during the day is different, they can only share a few courteous words under the watchful eyes of Castiel's mother and siblings. Any one of them would be likely to have Dean removed from their lands, in one way or another, were they to find out the truth about their relationship. It's a risk that Castiel is almost unwilling to take, but his will is weak when it comes to Dean and he can't help but indulge this.

Dean is already waiting for him in the innermost stall when he arrives. He looks tired but as soon as he spots Castiel, his face lights up. Castiel will never stop being amazed that someone could look at him like this, so full of love and affection.

"Hey," Dean mutters. Castiel kneels next to him in the hay and they kiss once, brief and sweet, in greeting. "What took you so long?"

"I had to wait until Gabriel had fallen asleep," Castiel explains. "I think he may be beginning to suspect something."

Dean looks unworried. "Let him wonder."

"I would rather not," Castiel says. They both know that Dean stands more to lose if their relationship were found out - his life, if it were the wrong person. Raphael and Michael would not hesitate to have him hung for sullying a nobleman.

Dean, maddeningly enough, doesn't seem to hold his life in any high regard. No matter how Castiel tells him that he is everything, Dean never takes him seriously. He will blush and mutter something about Castiel not being very smart for someone of such noble birth, or having a strange definition of 'everything'.

Castiel suspects that Dean even believes that drivel about his touch sullying Castiel. It's a depressing thought, that someone who could mean so much to Castiel could have such a low opinion of himself.

"Stop it," Dean demands and Castiel is shaken from his thoughts.

"Stop what?"

"Thinking unhappy things." Dean reaches up and smooths Castiel's furrowed brow with his hand.

"And how do you know my thoughts were unhappy?" Castiel asks.

Dean's smile has diminished into something small and melancholy. "You're frowning. I mean, you frown pretty much all the time, but when it's nothing serious, those little wrinkles," he taps the corner of Castiel's forehead, "don't get so deep. They're your unhappy wrinkles."

Castiel leans forwards, touching his forehead to Dean's. "You know me too well."

"No such thing," Dean mutters.

He kisses Castiel on the ear, on the jaw, on the cheek, until Castiel ducks his head to meet his lips. It seems that Castiel is not the only one unhappy tonight - Dean may rarely frown, but Castiel can tell his mood in his touch. When he's happy, he will be affectionate, recklessly so, as in his better moods, he will often tease Castiel with brief touches during the day. When he's angry, his kisses will be hot and passionate. On the rare occasion that he is angry with Castiel, there will be no touch or kisses at all.

And when he is unhappy or worried... he will cling to Castiel as if he cannot bear not to touch him. He will kiss him slow but desperate. Dean is an expert kisser (and Castiel does not like thinking how he earned his expertise) but when he is upset, his kisses will be sloppy and artless.

As they are now. Castiel pulls away reluctantly, and asks, "What's wrong?"

Dean lets out a frustrated whimper. He's got one hand on Castiel's shoulder and the other on his waist, and despite his clear unwillingness to talk with Castiel, he does not move his hands away. "Nothing."

"Dean," Castiel pleads.

"It's..." Dean shakes his head. "It's stupid. I overheard Michael talk with Naomi in the stables today." Usually, Dean will refer to Castiel's family by their proper titles, but never when alone with Castiel. It was Castiel who asked him to refrain from doing so - it makes the distance between them seem all the more real. "They were talking about you."

"Oh?"

"You and... Lady Daphne," Dean says. "I think- it sounded like they were planning your engagement."

Castiel feels the color drain from his face. "Oh."

"You didn't know?" There is no mistaking the hopeful tone in Dean's voice.

"I didn't," Castiel says. "Of course I didn't. Do you think I would keep it a secret from you?"

Dean bites his lip. "Well, it's not exactly as if I could do anything about it."

"Perhaps not but you would still deserve to know." It is clearly the wrong thing to say, as Dean begins to withdraw, removing his hands from Castiel's body. Castiel grabs them, squeezes them softly in reassurance. "But I could. Michael and Mother can talk all they like, but they cannot force me to do anything."

"People will talk," Dean points out.

"I. Don't. Care," Castiel says. "Mother has five other sons willing to continue the family line. She will be disappointed if I don't take a wife, yes, but she will not disown me. If I cannot marry you, I won't marry anyone at all."

Dean's eyes are wide and disbelieving. "Then let's get married," he blurts.

Castiel's breath catches in his throat. Surely he misheard. "What?"

"I know we can't," Dean says, "but let's anyway. We won't be joined in the eyes of the law, or the eyes of God, but if they won't accept us, then who gives a shit? We'll do it on our own terms."

And Castiel, who always followed the law to the letter before it told him he couldn't be with Dean, who always held his God in the highest regard before He told him he _shouldn't_ be with Dean... Castiel can only say, " _Yes_."

Dean laughs, breathless and rapturous. "Yes?"

"Yes," Castiel repeats.

Sudden inspiration strikes, and he draws his family ring from his finger. He takes Dean's hand and tries to put it on his middle finger, but can't fit it all the way down.

"Try the next," Dean urges.

Castiel obeys. It slips on smoothly this time. The sight of his ring on Dean's finger causes a strange fluttering in his chest and stomach. He can hardly catch his breath.

"I don't have any ring for you," Dean says apologetically.

"I don't need one," Castiel reassures him.

But Dean shakes his head. He reaches for the leather cord around his neck. Castiel opens his mouth to protest but Dean glares at him pointedly and so he stays quiet. He pulls off his amulet - the most valuable thing in his possession, given to him by his brother when they were children - and hangs it around Castiel's neck.

"I know you'll keep this safe for me," Dean says in response to Castiel's unvoiced protests. "And Sam will understand."

Dean's younger brother is the only person who knows of their relationship. He had found out by accident, but he had reacted well and Castiel is glad he knows. He would trust Sam with his life; trusts him already with Dean's life, which is infinitely more precious.

Dean clears his throat, demanding Castiel's attention. "I now pronounce us man and man. You may kiss your husband."

"Are you the holy man, then?" Castiel teases.

Dean snorts. He pulls Castiel closer by the lapels of his shirt and repeats demandingly, "Kiss."

"Not one for drawn out ceremonies, are y-"

He is cut short as Dean takes matters into his own hands and pulls him in for a heated, lingering kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> It's not my intention here at all to say that being able to get legally married is unimportant. Neither do I want to romanticize oppression, my goal here was to show that love can and will exist in spite of it.


End file.
